Squad sets season record in team event to secure win
KU Acrobatics & Tumbling set season records at their meet against No. 15-ranked West Liberty University. The meet occurred March 25 at 2 p.m. in the Keystone Arena.
Heading into the team event, West Liberty was in the lead 163.100-160.900. However, KU secured their win with a season-high score of 88.380 to West Liberty’s 82.950. The meet concluded with a final score of 249.280-246.050.
“We were behind going into the final team event,” member Tiffani Lincoln said. “But we knew we had a chance to win if we did our team routine of the year.”
KU’s previous team event high score of 86.78 was set at a tri-meet against Stevenson University and Saint Leo University on March 14. They also surpassed their best overall meet score of 243.280, which occurred on the March 14 meet as well.
KU also achieved season-high scores in acro, toss and tumbling, with nine season-best heat scores.
West Liberty went into halftime with an 89.95-86.95 lead after winning the compulsory, acro and pyramid events. In the pyramid event, KU set program-best scores in the inversion heat and open heat.
KU went on to win 24.70-24.35 in the toss event and 49.250-48.900 in the tumbling event, making the team event the determinant for the winner. The tumbling event surpassed their previous program-best of 48.175. Standouts included Destiny Satterlee in the open pass, Paige Saxey in the aerial pass, and Lincoln in the 6-element pass.
Since KU Acrobatics & Tumbling began its inaugural season in 2022, they have competed in four matches against opponents ranked in the top five of the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association national poll. March 25 marked KU’s first win over a ranked opponent.
Acrobatics & Tumbling will end the regular season with their first home tri-meet against Caldwell and East Stroudsburg on April 6 at 6 p.m.
“We are super excited for the final event on April 6,” Lincoln said. “My goal is to do whatever I can to help the team to win.”